Earning Rewards From ALLAH المفكرة الدعوية www.dawahmemo.com

Earning rewards from Allah The ways to earn rewards and obtain the pleasure of Allah are numerous; only Allah knows all of them. Here, Allah willing, I shall mention some of the more famous deeds that are pleasing to Allah.

First, Avoiding those things that Allah has forbidden, including the great sins as well as refraining from continually performing the lesser sins. The Prophet (SAWS) said: “ Allah has recorded the good deeds and the evil deeds. Then He made them clear: He who has intended a good deed and does not do it, Allah writes it down with Him as a performed good deed; but if he intends it and does perform it, Allah records for him from ten good deeds to seven hundred times that or more than that. If he intends to do an evil deed and does not do it, then Allah writes it down as a good deed; but if he intends an evil deed and performs it, Allah records it as one evil deed” {Sahih al Jami#792}

Second, Reciting the Quran and pondering over its meanings: The Prophet (SAWS) said: “ Whoever recites one ‘word’ from the book of Allah will be rewarded for a good deed and ten more like it; and I do not say that Alif Lam Mim is a word but Alif is a word, Lam is a word and Mim is a word” {Sahih al Jami#6345}

Another hadith states, “ When the reciter of the Quran enters Paradise he will be told, ‘Recite’ and he will be raised a degree for every verse he reads until he reaches the end of what he has with him [of the Quran]” {Sahih al Jami #7977} Another hadith states, “ The Quran is an intercessor. Whoever puts it in front of him (i.e., follow it) will be led by it to Paradise. Whoever puts it behind him (i.e., ignores it) will be thrown by it into the hellfire” {Sahih al Jami#4319}

Third, guiding people to the righteous deeds: The Prophet (SAWS) said, “ Whoever guides one to a good thing will get the same reward as the person who performs the deed” {Sahih al Jami #6116}

Fourth, enjoining good and eradicating evil: Allah says in the Quran, “ And the believers, men and women, are protecting friends of one another; they enjoin the right and forbid the wrong.....” {al Taubah 71} The Prophet (SAWS) said, “ If people see an evil deed and they do not change it, Allah may inflict them all with a punishment” {Sahih al Jami#1970}

Fourth, enjoining good and eradicating evil: Al Qurtubi wrote, “Allah has made the enjoining of right and forbidding of evil as an act that distinguishes the believers from the hypocrites. This means that one of the particular characteristics of the believers is the enjoining of good and eradicating of evil; and the most important of this category is the calling to Islam” {Tafsir al Qurtubi, vol. 4,p.47}

Fifth, Dua (Supplications to Allah): Supplication is the best act of worship as the Prophet (SAWS) said, “ The most virtuous act of worship is supplication” {Sahih al Jami#1133} The Prophet (SAWS) also said , “ There is no Muslim on the earth who supplicates to Allah except that Allah will give him what he asked or He will remove some evil from him [due to the supplication] as long as he does not supplicate for something evil or as long as he does not supplicating for cutting off the ties of kinship, and as long as he does not become impatient and say, ‘I supplicated and supplicated and I was not Responded to”{ Sahih al Jami #5513}

Fifth, Dua (Supplications to Allah): The Muslim must be certain that Allah will not leave him empty handed; either he will be granted what he wants in this world or Allah will reward him with something in the Hereafter. The Prophet (SAWS) said, “ Verily, Allah is the Living and the Gracious. He is shy, when someone raises his hands to Him, to leave him empty handed”

Sixth, marrying religious women who will be able to assist in doing good deeds and help in bringing up children properly and keep them away from committing sins[ and women marrying religious men…..]: The Prophet (SAWS) said, “ A woman is married for her religion, wealth or beauty; marry the religious women and you will prosper” {Sahih al Jami #1937} He also said, “A thankful heart, a tongue that remembers [Allah often] and a pious wife that helps you in your worldly and religious matters is better than what the people are amassing” {Sahih al Jami #4285}

Seventh, bringing up pious children, training them to have good Islamic character and teaching them to constantly observe Islamic obligations, the most important being the performance of the prayer: The Prophet (SAWS) stated, “ A man will be raised some degrees in Paradise and he will say, ‘For what reason am I receiving this?’ He will be told, ‘Because of your son asking forgiveness for you’’ {Sahih al Jami #1613}

Dear Muslims, you should be aware that Allah has placed this heavy responsibility upon you and you will be asked about it. The Prophet (SAWS) concerning to this matter, said, “ Allah will ask everybody about what he is responsible for, ‘Did he fulfill the responsibility or not?’ Even the man will be asked about his family.” { Sahih al Jami #1770}

Eighth, having good manners and character: The Prophet (SAWS) said, “The most beloved of you to me and the closest of you to me in the Hereafter are those of you who have the best manners; the most hated of you to me and farthest from me in the Hereafter are those of you who have the worst manners, those who speak and do not even care even about what they are saying” {Sahih al Jami# 1531}

Eighth, having good manners and character: The Prophet (SAWS) said, “ The person of good manners will get the same reward as the person who prays during the night and fasts during the day” {Sahih al Jami #1616} The Prophet (SAWS) also said, “ A person says something and he thinks there is nothing wrong with that statement yet he is thrown seventy years into the hell-fire because of that statement” {Sahih al Jami #1614}

Nine, performing many voluntary prayers: The Prophet (SAWS) said, “ Allah waits until one half or two-thirds of the night has passed and He says, ‘My servants shall ask from no one except me. Whoever asks from Me, I shall respond to him. Whoever asks Me for something, I will give it to him. Whoever asks for my forgiveness, I shall forgive him. This continues until dawn” {Sahih al Jami #1913}

“ The believer’s honor is his nightly prayer; and his dignity is in abstaining from what the people possess” {Sahih al Jami #3604} The Prophet (SAWS) said, “Whoever prays twelve voluntary rakats during the night and day will have Allah build a house for him in Paradise” {Sahih al Jami #6236}

Tenth, being obedient and respectful to one’s parents: This is one of the greatest way to attain Allah’s pleasure and reward. Allah says in the Quran, “ Your Lord has decreed that you worship none save Him, and that you show kindness to parents. If one of them or both of them attain to old age with you, say not ‘Fie’ unto them nor repulse them, but speak unto them a gracious word, and lower unto them the wing of submission through mercy and say ‘ My Lord, have mercy on them both as they did care for me when I was little’” {al- Isra 23}

Eleventh, jihad in the way of Allah: The Prophet (SAWS) said, “ Being on guard in the way of Allah for one month is better than perpetual fasting for a year. Whoever dies while guarding in the way of Allah will be safe from the great frightening. He will be provided his provisions, smell the scent of Paradise, and receive the reward of the one who guards until Allah resurrects him” {Sahih al Jami #3473} “ The martyr is forgiven for everything except debt” {Sahih al Jami #7975}

Twelfth, remembering Allah at all times: The Prophet (SAWS) said, “ I am as My slave thinks I am. I am with him when he makes mention of Me. If he makes mention of Me to himself, I make mention of him to Myself; and if he makes mention of Me in an assembly, I make mention of him in an assembly better than it.” {Recorded by al Bukhari.}

The best way of remembering Allah is to recite the supplications that the Prophet (SAWS) used to make.

Thirteenth, speaking the truth and not fearing the punishment of anyone: The Prophet (SAWS) said, “ The leader of the martyrs is Hamza ibn Abdul Muttalib and a person who faces an unjust ruler and advises him to do good then he gets killed because of his speech” { Sahih al Jami #3569}

Fourteenth, giving charity and spending in the way of Allah: Allah says in the Quran, “ Those who spend their wealth by night and day, privately and publicly, verily their reward is with their Lord, and no fear shall come upon them neither shall they grieve” {al Baqara 274}

Fifteenth, learning the beneficial knowledge: The beneficial knowledge is that which has to do with the Hereafter (as the Hereafter is everlasting and this world will perish- but this does not mean that there is no worth in learning about worldly sciences, it is simply stating that knowledge related to the Hereafter is more virtuous). These are the science related to the shariah with all its different branches, such as the science of the Quran, science of hadith, fiqh and so on

The Prophet (SAWS) said, “[ On the day of resurrection], the feet of the slave (of Allah) will not move until he is questioned about four things: about his life, how he passed it; about his knowledge, how he acted upon it; about his wealth, how did he earn it and where did he spend it; and about his body, how did he use it” {Sahih al Jami #7177} Conclusion: Dear brothers and sisters, be warned not to be like those who damage their bodies and eyes by watching films and movies on the television instead of using to read the Quran and the hadith of the Prophet (SAWS).

May Allah the Almighty Guide us and shower his blessings on all of us… May Allah the Almighty Guide us and shower his blessings on all of us…. Aameen